A funny thing I heard from my barber...

Bronze Dog

Copper Alloy Canid
Bronze Dog
Joined
Mar 9, 2005
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Lately, I've been a little under the weather, and had a small bug that was shifting out of my sore throat and into my sinuses. While I was getting a haircut, I was feeling mostly normal, except at one point I developed a pre-sneeze burn in my nose that didn't go anywhere. Since I hadn't been conversing, I expressed my annoyance for that particular physiological phenomenon...

At that point, my barber mentioned that he would get it, and he'd go out into the sun, which would trigger a sneeze. Apparently, his siblings did the same thing, but never mentioned it to him. At the moment, I'm suspecting confirmation bias, but I'd like to know if there might be a reason: I imagine temperature changes, air pressure, and maybe a little help from genetics might play a role.

So, any sneezologists out there with an explanation?
 
Happens to me all the time. I often sneeze going from a normally-lit room out into bright sunlight. Somebody suggested hayfever, since "bright sunlight" could equate to "summer", but it seems to be the change in environment that's the cause; After I've sneezed once or twice I can walk around all day long and not have any other problem.

I always suspected it was a temperature thing, maybe the warmth of the sunlight made air currents in the air inside a person's nose and that caused a sneeze.
 
I also have it. If I need to sneeze but it won't come out, I look at a source of light (even a lightbulb works if it's bright enough).

I sneeze in the sunlight all the time, it's quite a pleasant sneeze though. I can sneeze at will (who's Will?) by looking at the sun, although I don't do that too often, obviously.
 
Son #3 and I both have photic sneeze reflex. If only one more son had it, we could sneeze in three-part harmony.
 
tkingdoll said:
I also have it. If I need to sneeze but it won't come out, I look at a source of light (even a lightbulb works if it's bright enough).

I sneeze in the sunlight all the time, it's quite a pleasant sneeze though. I can sneeze at will (who's Will?) by looking at the sun, although I don't do that too often, obviously.
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Yeah, we know why you like that. We've all heard what sneezing does to women. :D

Dave
 
The same thing happens to me with sunlight.

I do not think that changes in temperature, air pressure, etc. have an effect, because it will still happen when I am driving and turn a corner and face into the sun.
 
I also have that sneeze when looking at light thing (I did not know it was called the photic sneeze reflex) - I just couldn't believe it the first time I was told about it, but I tried it and it works superbly.


On a related note I have heard it said that a sneeze is, in terms of pleasurable sensation, 1/8 of an orgasm.

I'd like to see the study that worked out that statistic.
 
Yes - I've got that sneezy thing too. I didn't know that it was a known genetic trait though, I thought it was just me. Amazing what you can find out on the JREF.

Can anyone here wobble their eyes? I can sort of vibrate my eyes, horizontally, very quickly. I have never met anyone else who can do it.
 
hodgy said:
Yes - I've got that sneezy thing too. I didn't know that it was a known genetic trait though, I thought it was just me. Amazing what you can find out on the JREF.

Can anyone here wobble their eyes? I can sort of vibrate my eyes, horizontally, very quickly. I have never met anyone else who can do it.
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I can do sort of a horizontal quiver. I can also curl my tongue, wiggle my ears slightly, and do the "live long and prosper" thing quite easily.

My dad can bend the last knuckle on his pinky without bending anything else.
 
I can do sort of a horizontal quiver. I can also curl my tongue, wiggle my ears slightly, and do the "live long and prosper" thing quite easily.
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I can also do all of those things - could they be related to the same gene? :eek: I can also raise one eyebrow (the left one, but not the right one).

I've had the eye quiver thing happen by itself a few times, but not recently as far as I can remember. I've also taught myself to move one eye inwards and leave the other one looking forwards. Repeat and combine to amuse a niece.

And light helps me force a sneeze.

David
 
I sneeze when I wake up first thing in the morning, basically without fail, and more often then not don't sneeze again for the rest of the day.
 
davidhorman said:
I can also do all of those things - could they be related to the same gene? :eek: I can also raise one eyebrow (the left one, but not the right one).

I've had the eye quiver thing happen by itself a few times, but not recently as far as I can remember. I've also taught myself to move one eye inwards and leave the other one looking forwards. Repeat and combine to amuse a niece.

And light helps me force a sneeze.

David
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I can lift either eyebrow independently. I can't move my eyes independently except for the typical cross-eye. And, since I started a thread with a skeptical (and, of course, openminded) look at the photic sneeze reflex, I don't have it myself.
 
Can anyone flip their tongue over by twisting it?

I find that if I run my finger along the bottom of my tongue (which would now be on top) from right to left it feels like it's going left to right (and vice versa).

There wasn't much to do in the town I grew up in
 
hodgy said:
Yes - I've got that sneezy thing too. I didn't know that it was a known genetic trait though, I thought it was just me. Amazing what you can find out on the JREF.

Can anyone here wobble their eyes? I can sort of vibrate my eyes, horizontally, very quickly. I have never met anyone else who can do it.
Click to expand...
I was curious when I heard about the whole 'look up at the sun and sneeze' thing, so I tried it myself, and it certainly did seem to work. But the thought occurred to me that it might have nothing to do with the sun whatsoever. I tried it a few times just looking up, even at night, and it seemed to have the same effect.

It seems like this would be a more plausible explanation; Maybe the airway would be slightly less constricted when the head is tilted up, which would coax a sneeze more easily?
 
I can't move my eyes independently except for the typical cross-eye.
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Here's how. Look at a nearby object. Start to cross your eyes, but try to keep one of the images of the object in the centre of your vision. Then pretend you don't know what you've done and go and talk to a friend.

David
 
BronzeDog said:
I can do sort of a horizontal quiver. I can also curl my tongue, wiggle my ears slightly, and do the "live long and prosper" thing quite easily.
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Yes - I can do those, although my tongue-curl is not very good. I wish I'd never asked about the eye-wobbling now, I thought it was a unique and special gift :)
 
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